Overview

How to Apply

QED Participants

QED Funded Projects

Business Advisors & Selection Team

CSL Behring Partnership

Overview

Sometimes an idea alone is not enough. That’s where QED’s mentors and coaches come in.

The QED proof-of-concept program gives academic researchers mentoring, business advice, and in some cases funding, to commercialize their early-stage life science and healthcare technologies.

The projects selected to participate in the program receive:

Customized coaching from industry experts

Exposure to the investment community

Support to develop a commercialization funding roadmap

By the end of the program, researchers will have the knowledge and tools to seek follow-on funding to advance their projects along the commercialization pathway. The Science Center kickstarts this process by funding up to four projects from each round.

QED is the nation’s first multi-institutional proof-of-concept program for the life sciences. Since 2009, QED has screened 600+ submissions from researchers at 21 partner institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware and helped researchers develop 100+ Proof-of-Concept Plans. The outcome to date? Ten licensed technologies including eight startup companies formed that have the potential to positively disrupt the healthcare landscape.

“The QED program provides an ideal funding opportunity that will support the next stage of our research, advancing compound leads into potential drug candidates.”

Maureen Murphy, Ph.D. at The Wistar Institute and QED Awardee

Elements of the Program

Customized Business Mentorship

The QED Program taps into a network of volunteer Business Advisors with industry experience translating technologies from idea to clinic. Principal Investigators are matched with Business Advisors with relevant domain expertise. They work as a team over 8-10 weeks to develop proof-of-concept plans. .

The Technology Transfer Office of the partner institution supports the Investigator/Advisor teams as they develop the proof-of-concept plans.

Development of Funding Plan

Each uniquely designed milestone-driven proof-of-concept plan answers key questions to guide the Investigator as s/he seeks follow on funding from public or private sources.

Market Exposure

participants present their Proof-of-Concept Plans to a Selection Team of pharma executives and investors. Feedback from the Selection Team enables the project teams to better address their market and gives them a competitive edge moving forward. Exposure to Selection Team members who may be interested in supporting the technologies in the future is an additional benefit.

Bridge Funding

The Science Center kickstarts up to four projects in each round with grants of up to $200,000 each. The project teams have 12 months to complete the work proposed in their Proof-of-Concept Plans.

Science Center leadership and the partner institution Technology Transfer Offices periodically review the projects during implementation to facilitate the successful transition of the research into the private sector.

The QED Program has received support from U.S. Economic Development Administration, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Health, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, William Penn Foundation, and Wexford Science and Technology.

How to Apply

The QED Program provides business mentorship, support to develop a proof-of-concept funding plan, and access to industry and investor representatives. Up to four projects are competitively selected from the participating project pool to receive bridge funding. We’re seeking technologies that have clear product potential in life science and healthcare markets.

The QED Program is administered through the Technology Transfer Office of each partner research organization (listed below). Interested applicants should contact their appropriate representative to discuss their interest in the QED program.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Affiliation with a QED partner institution

Support from home institution’s Technology Transfer Office

Life sciences focused technology/idea

A strong desire and willingness to learn and receive guidance from industry experts

SELECTION PROCESS:

After evaluating the White Papers, the QED Selection Team comprised of industry experts and investors selects10-15 projects.

The 10-15 Principal Investigators are assigned a Business Advisor. Together they prepare a comprehensive Proof-of-Concept Plan, which they present to the Selection Team.

Up to four projects in each QED cycle receive up to $200,000 each over 12 months to validate their proof-of-concept.

Funding for each project is contributed equally by the Science Center and the PI’s home institution. Each research institution retains ownership of all intellectual property. Institutional policies and commercial interest dictate how the IP is transitioned into licensing opportunities or new ventures.

Each QED partner institution has agreed to revenue sharing conditions in the event that a funded project is licensed. Applicants should consult their Technology Transfer Office to discuss details.

Participating projects are evaluated for funding based on the following criteria:

Market opportunity and competitiveness

Significant improvement over current standard of care or current solution in market

Scientific merit

IP position

Probability of attracting follow-on funding

Feasibility of proposed Proof-of-Concept plan in terms of strategy and resources

Important Dates

KEY EVENT

Campus presentations of QED program

Opening Day for White Paper Applications

Early Submission of Applications for feedback

Application Feedback

Final Submission of Applications due

Researchers Selected as Finalists (up to 15)

Presentations by Finalists to Business Advisors

Finalist Teams Orientation Meeting

Request due for Specialist Clinic meetings

Specialist Clinics*

Proof-of-Concept plans due from Finalist Teams

Prep for Presentations (webinar)

Practice Presentations**

Final Presentations to Selection Team at UCSC**

2018 DATES

April - May

May 1

May 18

June 4

June 29

July 30

Aug. 8 - 9

Aug. 21 - 22

Sept. 21

Oct. 3 - 4

Oct. 18

Nov. 14

Nov. 28 - 29

Dec. 12 - 13

* October meetings may be held in the Science Center's new building, 3675 Market Street

** Nov and Dec events held in the Science Center's new building, 3675 Market Street

round 10

Maureen Murphy, Ph.D. (The Wistar Institute) is advancing new treatments for therapy-resistant melanoma by focusing on the mitochondria essential to the growth of cancer cells.

Jean-Pierre Issa, M.D. (Temple University) has discovered a series of new compounds that help rewire gene expression patterns and reverse the invasive potential of cancerous cells.

ROUND 9

Mohammad Abedin-Nasab, Ph.D. (Rowan University) is improving patient outcomes with Robossis™, a robotic surgery device designed to assist surgeons with pre-operative planning and alignment of long bone fractures, leading to faster surgeries.

ROUND 8

A team of nurses and engineers at the University of Delaware is revolutionizing training of healthcare workers, starting with techniques for emergency airway management, by developing new mannequin simulation tools.

Judith Deutsch, Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

A team of physical therapists and engineers at Rutgers University is creating a rehabilitation technology that will aid in mobility, coordination and fitness training for older adults as well as persons with neurologic and musculoskeletal conditions.

Melik Demirel, Ph.D. (Pennsylvania State University)

A team at Pennsylvania State University is using proteins to coat the surfaces of biomedical swabs, allowing them to capture DNA for analysis from even tiny amounts of blood or other biological samples.

KiBum Lee, Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

A team at Rutgers University is developing a technology for programming stem cells for use in therapies in people with incurable and debilitating diseases and disorders.

ROUND 7

Steven Levison, Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

A new product for culturing nervous system stem cells that simplifies and improves the ability of researchers to grow these cells for experimental and therapeutic use.

Sunday Shoyele, Ph.D. (Thomas Jefferson University)

A product for delivering a highly-degradable gene that prevents the expression of cancer and other cells using antibody-based nanoparticles.

William Wuest, Ph.D. (Temple University)

The next generation of disinfectants for a variety of commercial industries including healthcare, transportation, water and energy.

Chao Zhou, Ph.D. (Lehigh University)

A diagnostic instrument that will allow faster, more sensitive eye exams for macular degeneration and glaucoma, improving an approach known as optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Christof Daetwyler, M.D. (Drexel University)
An online system to improve the communication skills of healthcare professionals using practice, assessment, and feedback.

ROUND 5

Robert Sikes, Ph.D. (University of Delaware)
A potential drug therapy for prostate cancer, developed from a novel class of compounds.

Joyce Tombran-Tink, Ph.D. (Penn State College of Medicine)
An eye drop therapy for diabetic retinopathy based on novel peptides.

William Craelius, Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
A smartphone app to support physical therapy for stroke patients.

Anant Madabhushi, Ph.D. (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
A technology that enhances the identification of prostate cancer through computer-based image analysis of MRI scans.

ROUND 4

Hwyda A. Arafat, M.D./Ph.D. (Thomas Jefferson University)
A candidate for the first clinically reliable test for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the primary form of pancreatic cancer which currently has no reliable system for early detection.

Linda Couto, Ph.D. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia)
A novel treatment for people infected with hepatitis C virus, using a microRNA technology that interferes with the ability of the virus to express its own genes.

BUSINESS ADVISORS

The Science Center’s community of 150+ industry professionals and serial entrepreneurs serve as QED Business Advisors. They work with investigators and Technology Transfer Offices to evaluate a go-to-market strategy and prepare a commercialization funding plan for each technology. Below is a sampling of our Business Advisors.

SELECTION TEAM MEMBERS

The involvement of industry licensing and investment professionals in the selection of projects for funding is an integral component of the QED Program. Representatives of the following organizations have participated in the Selection process:

CSL Behring accelerating Technology Transfer

We are excited to share that the Science Center and CSL Behring have partnered to identify and commercialize promising new technologies at research and academic institutions across the region. The Australian-based global biotechnology leader will leverage our expertise and the promising research being developed at institutions across Greater Philadelphia to build its pipeline and broaden collaborative networks across the United States.

Researchers at institutions participating in the QED Program throughout the region are invited to submit proposals for research projects, as outlined below.

December 21, 2018: Notification on final applications to submit a full proof-of-concept grant proposal.

January 22, 2019: Proof-of-concept grant proposals due from finalists to the Science Center.

Areas of Interest to CSL Behring

Therapeutic areas

Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

Hematological and coagulation disorders

Transplantation

Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases

Respiratory diseases

Neurological disorders

Modalities*

Protein/antibody based therapeutics

Gene-based therapy

Cell-based therapy

Small molecules

Translational Medicine

Technologies*

Protein characterization

Protein/ vector manufacturing

Drug delivery

*Modalities and Technologies must relate to a listed Therapeutic Area(s)

Selected projects will receive a total of up to $300,000 in research funding from CSL Behring, together with scientific and in-kind support including reagent generation and consultancy on drug development strategy. The awards will be for a period of two years.